In true ako spirit, this is the learning that happens behind the design, behind the learning. Behind the Builds is part reflection, part experimentation, and all about growing through the creative process.
This week’s Articulate Halloween Challenge was too tempting to resist. Instead of crafting another spooky quiz or haunted scenario, I decided to build something I’ve always loved, an arcade-style game.
That’s how Witch’s Cauldron Chase was born.
In this game, you guide Wanda the Witch through a haunted maze, collecting glowing cauldrons while dodging mischievous ghosts. Think Pac-Man… but on a broomstick.
I wanted to see how far I could push Rise’s new HTML block feature, so I challenged myself to build the entire game in raw HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, generated and refined through ChatGPT.
It wasn’t easy.
In fact, it took over ten passes of code generation to get it right. The hardest part?
Getting Wanda to actually move using the keyboard controls.
At one point, she’d take off and zoom across the screen uncontrollably. Another time, she just froze mid-air, broom hovering in defiance. But each iteration brought me closer, and I learned more about debugging, logic loops, and game state than I expected.
Every failed attempt was a reminder of why perseverance matters in creative learning design.
AI can accelerate the process, but it still takes human curiosity, persistence, and play to make something truly fun and functional. By the tenth attempt, Wanda finally flew freely, turning corners, collecting cauldrons, and dodging ghosts like a pro.
That moment? Pure arcade joy.
This project wasn’t just a nostalgic throwback.
It’s a glimpse into how we can use AI-assisted creativity to bring interactivity, storytelling, and fun into eLearning. By experimenting with code, narrative, and mechanics, we can design learning that feels like play, not just instruction.
And really, isn’t that the magic of good learning design?